Alliance commissions major heat pump system at Mataura, cutting coal use and emissions
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
OPINION: A mate of yours truly wonders if the rush by some to implement taxes on agricultural emissions might just leave the country’s farmers in the proverbial.
“Has anyone considered that if a bull harvests say 10 kilograms of DM a day and puts out less methane while digesting it – ( i.e. it farts and belches a little less than the bull next door),” he asks.
“What happens when he excretes? Does his sh*t emit more methane on the ground than the next door’s bull does?”
Old mate suggests the industry need to ‘get to the bottom of this crap’ and analyse the whole process.
If we don’t, he suggests farming in NZ will become “unprofitable, un-bankable and unsustainable”.
He wonders if we are being fed with a whole lot of “bulls*t” and will find ourselves “soundly in the crap”.
Farmers are being encouraged to take a closer look at the refrigerants running inside their on-farm systems, as international and domestic pressure continues to build on high global warming potential (GWP) 400-series refrigerants.
As expected, Fonterra has lifted its 2025-26 forecast farmgate milk price mid-point to $9.50/kgMS.
Bovonic says a return on investment study has found its automated mastitis detection technology, QuadSense, is delivering financial, labour, and animal-health benefits on New Zealand dairy farms worth an estimated $29,547 per season.
Pāmu has welcomed ten new apprentices into its 2026 intake, marking the second year of a scheme designed to equip the next generation of farmers with the skills, knowledge, and experience needed for a thriving career in agriculture.
One team with 43 head, including a contingent from Mid Canterbury, are reflecting on a stellar NZ DairyEvent.
Fonterra farmer shareholders have approved the mechanism for a $2/share capital return expected from the sale of its global consumer and associated businesses.

OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate…
OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.